The government is trying to compel Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balen Shah to resign by not cooperating with him, according to his secretariat.
Shah wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that attempts were being made to force him to resign from his post.
Kumar Byanjankar, a member of Shah’s secretariat, said the central government is trying to compel Shah to resign from the post of mayor by not cooperating with him.
According to Byanjankar, Shah has been trying for the past 20-25 days to work together with the Nepal government on 4-5 projects but the government has not shown any interest.
“We had sought security for the mayor with the Home Ministry. There has been no answer to that so far,” Byanjankar said. “He also tried to talk to the prime minister, but there is no response.”
“The prime minister himself is the home minister at present. He does not respond to any calls and messages,” he said. “He does not give the home secretary authority to work. The local government seeks help with the central government, but when the central government does not help, then it is saying don't work and forcing to resign."
Byanjankar said Shah’s Facebook post on Saturday was written in anger as he has not been provided security despite having requested for it.
Shah had applied for personal security officers (PSO) with the District Administration Office on January 13 citing increased security threats.
Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Ghanashyam Upadhyaya had told Setopati that the office had forwarded the application to the Home Ministry. The Security and Coordination Division at the Home Ministry would study the application and send security persons if deemed necessary after investigation, Upadhyaya had said.
Municipal police are currently deployed for security of Mayor Shah.
A complaint was filed against six persons – five men and one woman – who had pelted stones at the municipal police and issued death threats to Shah when the squatter settlement at Thapathali was being evacuated on November 28, 2022.
Byanjankar said those people have not been arrested despite lodging a complaint with the police.
